THURSDAY: I'm not one for blanket statements, but every brewery MUST make a pale ale. Amplified rolled out its version earlier this week, but you should still be able to find pints of its Pignose Pale Ale at this new brewery's home, the California Kebab and Beer Garden in P.B. Expect a 6 percent brew with a firm malt spine and sweet, floral hop aromas and tart citrus flavors from Cascade and Meridian hops.

SATURDAY: The Second Annual Strong Ale Challenge kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at the The Beer Company. Organized by BeerNerdz, the event tests beer fans knowledge by giving them eight samples of eight brews -- all with an alcohol content of 8 percent or higher -- and a scorecard full of pertinent information (tasting notes, bittering units, brewery). Can you identify the beers> Tickets, $35, can be bought here.

SATURDAY: Lost Abbey's Collector's Edition Box Set -- 13 brews packed in custom case, with an illustrated book describing each beer or "track" -- will go on sale for $450 at 10 a.m. in the brewery's tasting room. It's unclear how many of these boxes will be available -- the official word: "the final amount will be extremely limited" but 350 bottles of Track 13 will be available for purchase. These latter 375-ml bottles must be consumed on the premises.

SATURDAY: "Santa’s Secret Stash" is publican Scot Blair's annual celebration of Christmas ales. Starting at 3 p.m., he'll run a bus among his four bars -- Hamilton's, Monkey Paw, Small Bar and Eleven. Each will be stocked with impressive amounts of holiday cheer.

MONDAY: If you hold a "tap takeover" in a laboratory, is it really a "beaker takeover"? And if you brew a Scottish ale with Belgian yeast, does it speak with a funny accent? Find the answers to both questions from 4 to 6 p.m., when AleSmith showcases 16 varieties of Wee Heavy, each using a different yeast strain from White Labs.